Category: kmiz-local-news

Haley Swaino

COLUMBIA, Mo, (KMIZ)

As Columbia College students head out for the first day of classes Monday, enhanced security features across campus, including new lights and cameras, are in place to keep them safe.

“We have upgraded 80 cameras around campus to provide additional views of different areas on campus just to make sure that they’re all covered,” spokesman Sam Fleury said.

In addition to upgraded ones, the university has also installed 12 new cameras. In total, there are 160 monitoring the campus this year.

Fleury said parking lots are one of the highest priority areas for surveillance and the upgraded cameras provide a 360-degree view.

Columbia College has about 8,000 students enrolled for the 2025-2026 academic year, with 900 attending Columbia’s campus, according to Fleury.

Marianna Tomz was one many students who began her senior year Monday. She said she has always felt safe on campus.

“I lived in Miller my freshman year and then I lived in Cougar Village the past two years, so I’ve been on campus always,” Tomz said.

She said some of the new features on campus will make her feel safer this year.

“Cougar Village parking lot isn’t very big so I do have to park in Miller sometimes and that walk can be a little dark because there’s a lot of trees and stuff,” Tomz said. “So I think the increased lighting is going to help a lot.”

Fluery said LED lights have replaced traditional lighting to make parking lots brighter.

The university has also hired an additional campus safety officer.

“We now have 10 officers that we have on our team,” Fluery said. “We have two on-call, patrolling 24/7 on campus at all times… working to make sure the perimeter and then the interior of campus is secure.”

This addition comes as the Columbia Police Department said it was also ramping up its enforcement efforts downtown after students’ return to campus, according to previous reporting.

Campus safety is one of many improvements Columbia College said students can expect around campus this year.

Besides enhanced safety, $2.2 million from the college’s reserved building fund and donations paid for a remodel of the Atkins-Holman Student Commons, a refresh of the Stafford Library, and the relocation of the nursing program to Federal Hall downtown, which is still in progress.

To be prepared for possible campus emergencies, Columbia College urges students to sign up for alerts through its LiveSafe App.

“Students can follow along and make sure they get alerts if there is any sort of danger on campus or weather or updates that need to be sent out,” Fleury said.

The app will recommend an action to take during an emergency and send out updates as they become available.

Click here to follow the original article.

Marie Moyer

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

Cole County Judge Brian Stumpe on Monday denied the temporary restraining order the Missouri National Education Association sought against House Bill 12, which would give over $51 million to the Missouri Empowerment Scholarship Accounts Program for families to use on private school tuition.

The MOScholars program will give families of children with special needs or in low-income areas scholarships to access alternative schooling opportunities and educational resources.

“MOScholars is about giving parents the freedom to choose the educational path that best fits their child’s needs,” Malek said.” That freedom should never be taken away — not by bureaucrats, and certainly not by union bosses.”

Last year, through a senate bill, the general assembly increased eligibility for the program by expanding both eligible income levels and changing the definition of “qualified student” from students in specific counties to students from the entire state.

“Today’s ruling is a victory for parents and kids across Missouri,” Attorney General Bailey said in a statement Monday. “Missouri continues to fund public education at record levels. But for children who need something different, whether due to special needs, safety concerns, or failing districts, scholarships like these are lifelines.”

“We think it’s good to have options for all children, including the public schools and the scholarship program and so the value of the scholarship is just like we’ve seen in higher ed, where scholarships have helped kids get the right placement,” said attorney Brian Cleveland, who is representing families opposed to the lawsuit.

The lawsuit against the state was issued by the MNEA in June after state budget talks. In court documents, the MNEA claims the multi-million dollars of additional funding is unconstitutional.

In the Motion for Temporary Restraining Order, it said, “No Missouri statute beyond HB 12 itself authorizes the expenditure of general revenues for private school scholarships.”

Several defendants in the suit argue that vouchers are eligible for public schools, MNEA President Rebeka McIntosh disagrees.

“That’s not how vouchers work,” McIntosh said. “Our goal is that 900,000 public school students in Missouri deserve the very best they can get, and by draining all $51 million of general taxpayer funds to unaccountable, untrained private schools is not what is best for public school students in Missouri.”

Opponents also argue the scholarships could divert students from public schools, cutting their funding because the state distributes money per pupil. McIntosh adds that rural communities are especially vulnerable, as many small towns rely on public schools for both education and jobs.

“The public school is the heart of the community, it’s the heart of those small towns, we know that across our state and Missouri and when the schools don’t have what they need, then the entire community suffers,” McIntosh said.

“When this has been done in other states, the only people taking advantage of those voucher programs are people that are already in private schools, so it’s not expanding necessarily opportunities for students who can’t get in,” State Rep. Kathy Steinhoff (D-Columbia) said. “Not leveling the playing field of white people. I think it’s going to.”

A case review for the lawsuit is scheduled for Sept. 22 at 9 a.m. in the Cole County Courthouse.

Both the plaintiffs and defendants in the case are confident as the lawsuit continues.

“We’re just prepared to move on with arguing the case, and we will do that beginning in September and feel very confident that we can win on the merits of the case,” McIntosh said.

“It’s up to the plaintiffs as to what action they want to take next, and we’ll be there whenever they or the court wants us to make sure that we tell the families’ stories defending the program,” Cleveland said.

Click here to follow the original article.

Jazsmin Halliburton

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Columbia Board of Education will hold a hearing at the Aslin Administration building Thursday morning to discuss the property tax rate for Columbia Public Schools.

For the 2025-26 school year, the tax rate is dropping by nearly $0.16, meaning property owners will pay CPS $5.55 for every $1,000 of assessed value in property taxes for the year. However, due to the 8% increase in property assessment valuations, the district could collect $3.5 million more than last year through property taxes.

According to Chief Financial Officer Heather McArthur, due to the 8% assessed valuation growth, CPS will have to roll back its tax rate to account for the difference. The CPS financial committee will be discussing its tax rate number in a meeting at 5:30 p.m. Thursday.

The Columbia Board of Education will meet at 7:30 a.m. at the Aslin Administration building.

Final tax rate levies must be decided before September 1.

Click here to follow the original article.

Matthew Sanders

The answer to the question Mizzou football fans have waited all offseason to hear came Wednesday: both.

Coach Eli Drinkwitz said Wednesday that he will play both Beau Pribula and Sam Horn in Mizzou’s season opener next week.

Fans have speculated all season about which QB — graduate transfer Pribula or returning redshirt junior Sam Horn — would get the starting snaps in Week 1. That speculation only grew when the Los Angeles Dodgers took Horn in Major League Baseball’s draft.

Do you like Drinkwitz’s approach in Week 1? Let us know by voting in the poll.

Click here to follow the original article.

Olivia Hayes

FULTON, Mo. (KMIZ)

Fulton Public School students were back in the classroom today to kick off the 2025 school year.

Safety is top of mind for the district, which has more than 2,300 students across its six schools. This will be the start of the district’s student resource officer’s first full year. Officer Mackenzie Elmore started in January, for the last half of the 2024-25 school year.

Fulton Police Chief Bill Ladwig told ABC 17 News the department wants to use their resource officer for problem prevention and problem resolution. He said Elmore will work for all six schools in the district and that she goes around to all of them each day.

Ladwig explained that per the police departments agreement with the school, Elmore cannot discipline the students, only school administrators. However, Elmore can assist and support the school administrators in their discussion.

Ladwig said during Elmore’s short time at the Fulton School District, she has transformed the role.

“It’s building those relationships with the kids, high-fiving them, being there, talking to them, whether it’s reading a book to a an elementary class, or helping explain a topic to a junior high or high school class,” Ladwig said.

FPS in a statement mirrored Ladwig’s words telling ABC 17 News, “We are committed to utilizing our SRO to continue to build positive relationships with our staff, students & families, helping to create a secure and supportive learning environment for our students.”

Click here to follow the original article.

Nia Hinson

COLUMBIA, MO. (KMIZ)

Some parents of students who attend Columbia Public Schools are not pleased with a new bus company the district rolled out, two days into the school year.

CPS debuted its new bus service, DS Bus Lines during its first day of school on Tuesday, after it signed a three-year contract in February. The new company’s buses have safety features including GPS tracking for parents to track the bus in real time, and cameras inside and outside the buses.

CPS said roughly 8,000 students are enrolled to take the bus. The deadline for late opt in is Wednesday, Sept. 3.

Steve Tubbesing is the grandfather to an 11- and 8-year-old who attend Jefferson Middle School and Ridgeway Elementary. According to Tubessing, the two have to take two buses to get to their school everyday. On Monday afternoon, he said the two were dropped off at a stop about 16 miles away from their actual bus stop– near Mount Zion Road.

“I guess the main thing is on what planet is it OK to let a 12-year-old and an 8-year-old off of the school bus if it isn’t their stop? I honestly don’t know what the bus driver was thinking,” Tubessing said.

Tubessing said his son-in-law frantically reached out to the bus company multiple times trying to find out where his children were, but couldn’t get anyone to answer the phone. He used a “ping” on his daughter’s cellphone to find them and pick them up.

“Thank god my son-in-law had find my phone app on his phone so he could find her phone,” Tubessing said. “You know, everybody’s scrambling to try and find where they’re at so that nothing happens to them….it was just a nightmare.”

Tubessing said his 8-year-old granddaughter was also left at Benton Elementary School, instead of Ridgeway Elementary, the school she attends.

Tubessing said his son-in-law reached out to CPS regarding the incident. An email ABC 17 News obtained shows the district said DS Bus Lines launched an investigation into the complaint and requested the video footage. The district also said it is working on strengthening communication.

CPS spokeswoman Michelle Baumstark told ABC 17 News via email that the district cannot comment on individual student information. She said anytime there are route issues, CPS investigates it and works to address it. Baumstark said CPS asks for patience while they work through the new company.

“We had a good start yesterday and again this morning. We did have a couple of buses that were running behind in the afternoon yesterday. We’re working today to make some adjustments to improve the timing for those routes.  We’ll continue to improve over the next several days,” Baumstark said.

After all of the late requests for transportation are completed, CPS will be able to launch the family mobile app, Baumstark said. However, some parents are having opposite experiences with the new bus company.

Jordan Jones, the mother to a 12-year-old boy who attends Bethel Street Center said she contacted DS in a panic on Tuesday when her son didn’t get off the bus at his usual time, but was unable to get a hold of anyone.

“I need to be able to know where my child is and know that my child is safe,” Jones said. “The concern is over my child’s safety especially because now there’s this new Missouri law that students aren’t allowed to have their cell phones in the schools. Even if he had a cell phone which he doesn’t, he wouldn’t have been allowed to have it with him.”

Ivy Williams is the mother to a kindergartener and attends Rosetta Avenue. Williams said her experience has improved drastically compared to Student Transportation of America.

“I think in the morning they were maybe like two minutes late, in the afternoon, maybe about five minutes late. But, I kind of expect that because how are they gonna make it to me in like five, 10 minutes,” Williams said. “Last year, even for pick-up or drop-off they were anywhere between 30 minutes to 45 minutes late.”

ABC 17 News reached out to DS Bus Lines for comment.

Click here to follow the original article.

Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A Kansas City man was charged in Boone County after he allegedly led law enforcement on a high-speed chase last month on Interstate 70.

Beau Barrera was charged in Boone County with first-degree attempted assault and aggravated fleeing. A warrant was ordered and no bond was set. He was charged in Montgomery County on July 20 with aggravated fleeing, driving while intoxicated and driving while revoked, a misdemeanor. A case review is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 2 in the Montgomery County case.

The probable cause statement in Boone County says the chase began around 7 p.m. July 19 near the intersection of College Avenue and Business Loop 70. A deputy tried to pull Barrera over for not having a front license plate. Barrera drove his Acura onto Interstate 70 from Range Line Street and kept going, the statement says.

Barrera allegedly was driving around 95 miles per hour when he almost hit another deputy who was putting down spike strips on the highway, court documents say. The deputy allegedly stated that he either had to stay in place and get hit or run into I-70 traffic to get away, the statement says.

The chase continued and speeds hit more than 140 mph, the statement says. A Boone County deputy ended the chase because it went into a construction zone, but Barrera was eventually arrested in Montgomery County.

The probable cause statement in the Montgomery County case says spike strips were used, popped at least one tire, but the chase continued. He then allegedly hit a deputy’s vehicle before stopping in a median, the statement says.

Barrera allegedly failed a field sobriety test and refused to give a sample of his breath, so a warrant was obtained and his blood was drawn, court documents say. Deputies wrote that several open alcohol containers were in the vehicle.

Click here to follow the original article.

Alison Patton

Starting Aug. 28, period products, diapers and incontinence products will be exempt from all sales and use taxes, according to the Missouri Department of Revenue, including state and local.

Tax for Columbia is about 8.975%, which adds roughly .45 cents to a $5 item.

While the tax exemption will help lower the cost of menstruation products, spokesperson Sydney Roman from Period said, it’s not a solution to “period poverty,” which is a term used to describe a consistent lack of access to period products.

Period is a non-profit organization dedicated to eliminating period poverty.

“We think that it’s a part of a larger movement and a larger effort to recognize menstrual products as essential needs from the government,” Roman said.

Period products are not medically recognized, which means families can’t turn to programs like SNAP or WIC to purchase items the organization Period sees as a medical necessity, Roman said.

According to Period Law, Missouri collected about $7.8 million in tax revenue from period products, which is about .04% of the state’s total revenue in 2023.

“For the state, that removal of the tax really is negligible,” Roman said.

Missouri is joining 31 other states that have passed a similar tax exemption for period products, according to Period Law.

Gay Litteken, the executive director of First Chance for Children, said the cost of diapers has increased by 24% since the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I think because groceries have gone up, gas has increased,” Litteken said. “Families are just really stretched to their limit, and if we can help supplement diapers for them, then that’s a good thing.”

Litteken said there has been an increased demand for the free diapers her non-profit gives out to families over 6000 families every year. She doesn’t think the tax exemption will allow families to lean completely off First Chance for Children.

“We are really seeing some hard economic, times for families,” Litteken said. “We are here to support them.”

Click here to follow the original article.

Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Prosecutors are seeking to amend a charge for a man who is scheduled to go to trial next month for his alleged role in a shooting that occurred in December outside of a Boone County bar.

Steven Jones, 45, of Columbia, is charged with illegal gun possession and is being held at the Boone County Jail without bond. A pretrial conference is scheduled for 9 a.m. Monday, while his trial is set for 9 a.m. Wednesday, Sept. 3.

The state in a Tuesday filing argued that Jones is a repeat, or persistent, offender because he pleaded guilty to first-degree assault in 1997 in New Madrid County. Making his charge a class A felony would make him eligible for a longer prison sentence, if found guilty, court documents say.

Jones allegedly admitted to law enforcement in December that he shot and killed a 42-year-old St. Louis man outside of Jake’s Bar and Grill, previous reporting indicates.

Click here to follow the original article.